Separator and vapobizer attachment for internal-combustion engines



Patented May '5, 1925.

' UNITED STATES P RICHARD B. SARGENT, OF ROCK ISLAND; ILLINQIS, ASEIGNOR 10 GHARLES E. SABGENT, BOOK ISLAND, ILLINOIS.

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Application filed' May 5,

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD B. SARGENT,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Rock Island, in the county of Rock Island 5 and State of Illinois, have invented a new i and useful Separator and Vaporizer Attachment. for InternalCombustion. Engines, of "which the following is a specification.

It is the'object of my present. invention to provide a simple and effective device for separating liquid particles from a gaseous stream containing them; with especial rel? crence to such separation of particles of fuel from. the mixture of fuel and air supplied by'a carburetor to an internal combustion engine, in combination with means for heating this separated liquid so that it'will be returned into the air stream as a vapor.

My present invention is an improvement on that shown in the application of Lawrence J. May, Serial No. 465,966, filedM-ay 2, 1921, for a gasifier. It is more effective v than the May device because in the latter the rotating blades which are in the path of the stream of mixed air and fueltend to travel at such a speed that many of the liquid particles in the mixture pass by with out striking them, so that those liquid pan ticles are not deflected into the heating chain" ber. According to my present invention, I reduce the speed oi the fan, so that a much larger part of the liquid particles, if not sub stautiallyall of them, strike the blades and are deflected thereby into the heating chamber. There are-other features of difference over. the May device, as will appear herein-- after. v I

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention: The single figure of such drawing is a vertical central seetionpthrough a gasifier embodying my invention, with some of the parts of the wind wheel shown in elevatibn.

I have shown my inrention'in its preferred use, for insertion'between the carburetor and the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, with a heating chamber heated by the exhaust gases from the exhaust manifold. For this use, in the arrangement shown,'there is an upper fitting 10 having anoutlet pipe 11 leading to the intake manifold;.a lower fitting 12 arranged at its lower end to be connected to the carburetor to receive the stream'of mixed air and fuel therefrom; and an intermediate 1922. Serial Np. 558,660.

section 13 provided with an inner annular chamber 14 and anouter heating annular chamber 15, the. latter being connected in the path of the exhaust gases fromthe exhaust manifold to the atmosphereso that such ex haust gases heat 'thechamber 14. The intel-mediate section 13 is placed between the upper and lower sections 10 and 12, with suitable heat-insulating bushings 16 at the JOIIltS to keep the upper and lower sections comparatively cool. The three sections are fastened togethcr by asingle central vertical bolt 17 which carries nuts 18 bearing on suitable abutments provided on the sections 10 and 12, preferably with suitable seltadjusting washers interposed between such abutments and the nuts. The bolt 17"lies at about the middle of the vertical passageway extending from thefitting 12 through the intermediate section 13 into the fittin 10; and the chambers 1e and 15 surroun this vertical passageway. 1

A tube 20' is carried between bolts 17 for rotation thereon. This tube supports-a number of projecting blades 21, which form a wind wheel arranged in a herizontal plane (in the a rangement shown) in the plane of an opening 22 from the chamber 14, into the central passageway. Each of these blade-s has three sections an intermediate section. 23 which oblique with respect to the of the sleeve and the direction of how, a lower s tiou 24; 'Wl'llCll is'at angle or preferably at zero angle to the of the sleeve and the direction at stream how, and an upper sectionwhich forms a radial trough 25 opening downward. ringjtt concentric Withthe sleeVe 20 encirclesthe blades 21, and engages outer en of such bladesQto hold them in plane aga' action of centrifugal 'itorce; for-such ceutrifugal force is very large, because, the speed of rotation due to the high speed of travel of the explosive" mixture from the carburetor to the engine is high. The rings?!) 26 has an inturned flange 27 at-it s upper end; and 'just below'such flange has 'ries of radial holes 28, which preferably-swir line with the troughs 25. ,0

In operation, the stream of mixedair and fuel which travels upwardiromthe fitting 12 through the section 13"into theifittingl on its way :fromthe carbureter to-the' intake 7 manifold of the engine must pass the blades upper parts 23 of such blades produces rotation of the blades as a unit; but this rotation is retarded or damped, to a certain extent, by the parts 24: of less or no obliqueness. 5 Because of this retarding action, the blades 21 cannot rotat'e sufficiently rapidly to allow many particles of liquid fuel to get by the {blades without striking them. The air of the stream strikes the portions 23 of the 0 blades an i si gdefiectcd thereby, because of this remit? d ijptation of the blades, instead of passing ftitiaight through; and the fuel which strikes tht blades is carried along the surface of' the bladt'is into the troughs 25, and thrown outward by centrifugal force along such troughs and through the holes 28 into the chamber 14. Some of the liquid fuel travels upward along the side walls of the passageway, and along the inside of the IQ ring 26; and this wall-traveling fuel is caught by the flanges 27, so that it lion's around the ring and out through the holes 28 into the chamber 14. lhus the greater part of the liquid fuel in the stream of the mixture from theicarbureter is thrown into the chamber 14. It collects in this chamber, which preferably has an upstandinginner wall 2-9 from the bottom thereof to prevent back flow of liquid from such chamber. 30 This li uid thus caught in the chamber 1% is lieate by the exhaust gasses in the jacket 15, and is vaporized by the heat; and the fuel vapors escape from the chamber 14: through the opening 22 thereof, and remix with the air stream passing through the intakes manifold.

I claim as my invention: 1. In combination, a conduit for carrying a mixture of liquid and gas, a wind-wheel rotatably mounted-in said conduit and having outwardly projecting blades, said blades being partly oblique and partly parallel to the direction of stream-flow, a chamber opening into said conduit in position to have F liquid from said blades thrown outwardly into it, and a ring encircling said blades and reinforcing them against centrifugal force. 2. In combination, a conduit for carrying a mixture of liquid and gas, a wind-Wheel rotatably mounted in said conduit and having outwardly projecting blades mounted on a common hub, said blades having parts at different angles to the direction of stream flow and being provided with troughs o em ing against the stream flow at their e ges where the stream leaves the blades, and a chamber opening into said conduit in position to have liquid from said blades thrown outwardly into it.

3. In combination, a conduit for carryin a mixture of liquid and gas, a wind-whel rotatably mounted in said conduit and having outwardly projecting blades, said blades having parts at different angles to the direc tion of stream. iiow and being provided with troughs opening against the stream flow at their edges where the stream leaves the blades, a chamber opening into said conduit in position to have liquid from said blades thrown outwardly into it, and a ring encircling said blades to hold them against centrifugal force, said ring being provided with openings through which said troughs may discharge outwardly.

i. In combination, a conduit for carrying a mixture of liquid and gas, a wind-wheel rotatably mounted in said conduit and having outwardly projecting blades, said blades being partly oblique and partly parallel to the direction of stream-flow, a chamber opening into said conduit in position to have lquid from said blades thrown outwardly into it, and a ring encircling said blades and reinforcing them against centrifugal force, said ring having an inturned flange at the edge where the stream leaves the ring and being provided with outward openings through it in position to discharge into said chamber.

5. In combination, a conduit for carrying a mixture of liquid and gas, a wind-wheel rotatably mounted in said conduit and having outwardly projecting blades, said blades having parts at different angles to the direction of stream flow and being provided with troughs opening against the stream flow at their edges where the stream leaves the blades, a chamber opening into said conduit in position to have liquid from said blades thrown outwardly into it, and a ring encircling said blades to hold them against centrifugal force, said ring being provided with openings through which said troughs may be discharged outwardly and having an inturned flange at the edge where the stream leaves the ring.

6. In combination, a conduit for carrying a mixture of liquid and gas, a wind-wheel rotatably mounted in said conduit and having outwardly projecting blades, a chamber opening into sald conduit in position to have liquid from said blades thrown outwardly into it, and a ring encircling said blades and reinforcing them against centrifugal force, said ring having an inturned flange at the edge where the stream leaves the ring and being provided with outward openings through it in position to discharge into said chamber.

.7. In combination, a conduit for carrying a mixture of liquid and gas, 'a wind-wheel rotatably mounted in said conduit and having outwardly projecting blades, said blades having oblique portions for causing-the rotation of the wind-wheel by the How of the stream and also having troughs opening against the stream flow at the blade edges where the stream leaves the blades, said wind wheel also having damping parts for reducing its speed of rotation, and a chamher opening into said conduit in position to have a liquid from said blades thrown outwardly into it. v

8. In combination, a vertical conduit for carrying a mixture of liquid and gas, a wind-wheel mounted on a vertical axis in said conduit and having outwardly projecting blades, and a chamber surrounding said conduit and opening into said conduit in the plane of said blades, said blades having oblique partsand also having troughs which open rearwardly and are located on the blade edges where the stream leaves the blades and also having damping parts for acting on the stream to oppose the rotation of the wind-wheel. g

9. In combination, a conduit for carrying an explosive mixture from a carbureter to an internal combustion engine, a wind-wheel arranged in said conduit and having outwardly projecting blades, and a chamber surrounding said conduit and opening into the conduit in theplane of said blades, said blades being provided with oblique portions for causing rotation of the wind'wheel and with other portions for retarding such rotation and with troughs opening against the direction of stream flow for catching the fuel which strikes the blades and discharging it into said chamber.

10. In combination, a conduit for carrying an explosive mixture from'a carbureter to an internal combustion engine, a windwheel arranged in said conduit and having outwardly projecting blades, a. chamber surrounding said conduit and opening into the conduit in the plane of said blades, said blades being provided with oblique portions for causing rotation of the wind-wheel and with other portions for retarding such rotation and with troughs opening against the direction of stream flow for catching the fuel which strikes the blades and discharging it into said chamber, and means for heating said chamber by the exhaust gases from the engine.

In witness whereof, I, RICHARD B. San- GENT have hereunto set my hand at Champaign, Illinois, this 1st day of May, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and twenty-twol RICHARD B. SAR-GENT. 

